Cuban defector banned from Olympics: not a Spanish resident long enough
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Orlando Ortega and Aries Merritt at the Mens 110m Heat on July 24, 2015 in London, England. (2015 Getty Images)
The 2011 Pan American Games bronze medalist in the 110 meter hurdles, Cuban defector Orlando Ortega, won’t be able to compete in the upcoming Olympics because of regulation conflicts, the world governing body of track and field announced on Thursday.
Ortega, 25, set residence in Spain after he defected during the 2013 World Championship in Moscow. Even though he has competed for Spain since September, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ruled he is not allowed to represent it until November 2016 — three full years after he officially became a Spanish resident.
The IAAF also ruled that the Croatian-American marathon runner Lisa Nemec and Belarusian race walker Hanna Drabenia, who both competed at the 2012 Olympics, have been banned for doping.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nemec, formerly known as Lisa Stublic, grew up in Connecticut and raced for Columbia University but competes for Croatia, where she has set numerous national records. She finished 52nd in the marathon at the 2012 Olympics.
The IAAF said Nemec has been banned for four years following an out-of-competition doping test taken in October.
Drabenia picked up a two-year ban following a failed test at a competition last year in Belarus. She has raced at various major international competitions and was 24th in the women's 20-kilometer walk at the 2012 London Olympics and 16th at the world championships a year later.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Based on reporting by the Associated Press.